How do I know what care I or my loved one need?

SuperCarers’ smart digital assessor, Eva, is a free online tool allowing families conduct professional-level assessments of an elderly loved one’s wellbeing and potential risks. Developed in conjunction with experienced geriatrics and based on years of research, Eva is a great starting point for those seeking to understand if support is required. To take your free evaluation, click here.

If you believe that you or your loved one has a need for care, you can request a (free) care and support needs assessment from your local health authority’s Adult Social Services department. These assessments can also be requested by your GP, or prompted by another event such as a hospital visit. Each local authority has its own care assessment procedure, which you can read about on their website - although generally speaking, your GP is a great place to start.

Usually a care specialist (often an occupational therapist) from the local authority will visit the person’s home to carry out the assessment and discuss options. This will consider not just physical needs, but also how the person wants to live their life. It can be very helpful for a relative or advocate to be present too, to ask questions and provide additional information the person being assessed may not think of on the spot. The assessor will then write a report, which will include their recommendations for the most appropriate care services and other actions (such as home modifications).

Once an assessment has been completed, the local authority will decide if the person meets a set of eligibility criteria for community care services and if this threshold is met, what level of care assistance might be provided. While some of those criteria are the same across the country, others vary greatly between the different authorities. More information can be found on the relevant local health authority’s website, or on NHS choices.

It is important to know that whether these services will be paid for by your local authority will depend on a second assessment, a financial assessment. This will determine whether the required services will be paid for by the local authority or if the user does not meet the financial conditions to receive this assistance, it may be paid by themselves.